The Prayer Of Gethsemane Series

If you’ve been around Christian circles for any length of time, there is a considerable amount of frustration in trying to determine God’s will. For some, it’s because we love the Lord and want to please him, so we want to make sure we’re making right choices that would honor him. But for others, the reason we want to be in God’s will is probably a little less about pleasing the Lord and more about not wanting to step in the poo pile that comes from making a bad decision…am I not right?

• We want to want to know God’s will for our career path so that we don’t end up in debt for a degree we don’t use.

• We want to know God’s will in choosing our friends so that we don’t get down the road and get hurt by someone that turned out to be a not-so-great friend.

• And here’s the big one – we want to know the right person to marry because we don’t want to be miserable the rest of our lives. In fact, raise your hand if you’re here this morning and you are sitting beside a spouse that you shouldn’t have…I’M KIDDING—DO NOT RAISE YOUR HAND…that was a joke.

But I do often think that life would be so much easier if I just had a better idea of God’s will for my life. But can I be honest this morning? DISCERNING God’s will (which is really what we’re talking about) doesn’t always make PURSUING his will any easier. In fact, God has given us some very specific instructions in several areas of our lives concerning his will…and knowing his will in these areas doesn’t necessarily mean pursuing his will any easier.

For example:

• 1 Thessalonians 4:3 | For this is the will of God…that you abstain from sexual immorality.

• Ephesians 5:17-18 | Understand what the will of the Lord is...and do not get drunk with wine, but be filled with the Spirit.

Well, Pastor, I’m not really struggling in those areas. Okay then, what about these?

• 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 | Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Or how about this one?

• 1 Peter 3:17 | It is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.

Here’s my point – KNOWING God’s will doesn’t always make DOING his will any easier. The instructions in these verses concerning God’s will are still hard to DO. And so let’s look at this idea a little closer by turning this morning to Matthew 26 as we continue our series called Red Letter Prayers. This morning, we don’t want you to be discouraged by the difficulty of obeying God’s will. Instead we want to equip you by looking at the person of Jesus…and specifically his prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane. And what we’re going to see this morning is this…Jesus had the same struggle that we’re prone to. Even when he clearly knew God’s will, we’re going to see the angst and the deep feeling of despair that came from actually obeying God’s will. And in looking at this very well-known prayer, we hope to equip you for those moments where DOING God’s will, is really really hard.

Matthew 26:36-41

Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go over there and pray.” 37 And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38 Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.” 39 And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” 40 And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, “So, could you not watch with me one hour? 41 Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

We just read of one of the greatest moments of sorrow and anguish in Jesus’ ministry. For context here, Jesus has just spent a significant amount of time with his disciples and they just celebrated what we now call the Lord’s Supper together and Jesus has given them some final instructions before his death. And now after what would be their last supper together, Jesus and his three closest friends (Peter, James, and John) take a walk across a little valley outside of the city of Jerusalem to a park in the middle of an orchard of olive trees (Gethsemane literally means “oil press”). In fact, to this day, you can visit this site and see the ancient olive trees in this garden. And it’s here that Jesus retreats to an area where he can spend time with the Father prior to his arrest and crucifixion. And Jesus asks his friends to watch and pray for him as he goes a little further down the path to pray by himself.